Parkour Playground head needs renovation

AW for one ^^

Bored, bored, bored.

There was a buzzing in Lyx's limbs that demanded he run, hunt, fight, do something to rid himself of the excess energy. Coupled with the activity in his mind that wouldn't slow down, it was nigh on unbearable. He'd strayed from Cynder's side for a while to head off on his own - not too far, but far enough to give himself the space he needed without her intervention.

He felt irritable. He felt trapped. He felt stir-crazy in spite of the fact he had all of this land to explore and claim. It was a ridiculous problem to have, but Felyx was so unbelievably bored.

This place was a welcome reprieve.

The tree was absolutely massive. Winding tree limbs and roots filled the clearing, practically inviting him to climb as high as he could manage. Felyx had never done this before, and his initial ascent was a bit clumsy - he even slipped from one of the branches once and wound up with a bruise on his shoulder, but he was undeterred. It was an amazing way to shed some of his energy and focus on something rather than having his thoughts scream at him and his body tremble with too much..

Felyx wound up fairly high, lounging with one forelimb dangling down like a lazy cat. It gave him a good view of the clearing as well, stormy eyes scanning the floor below, but he wasn't expecting visitors. From what he knew, it was just himself and Cynder from their little group so far, so it would be surprising to see anyone else.

With a pleased hum, Felyx lay his head down on the branch and watched over the little clearing.

Dacian thought he would feel more, returning to his homeland. He was supposed to, right? So far it was seeming like one big waste of time and energy. He was amongst the willows now, which gave him just a few more days at best before he'd run into the Backwater and its pack. His? No, definitely not. But, some of his family, maybe? Or, would that seem wrong now too?

He moved at a casual jog, done with the sweeping boughs and ready for a change in scenery. Same old... same old.. same ol- wait a minute. Dace dodged right and ducked under a curtain of leaves, to find himself before a sprawling tree unlike any other he'd seen before. For the first time in days his eyes lit up with true excitement. Now that looked like something fun!

"Woohoo!" he hollered without reservation, rushing forward to launch himself onto one of the limbs that nearly brushed the ground. How high could he get... ?

It didn't take too long for someone else to invade Felyx's little self-proclaimed kingdom of roots. Another boy, somewhere around Lyx and Cyn's age, but bigger and dark-furred, pranced his way inside seemingly without a care in the world. A lazy smile formed on Felyx's face as he watched the boy consider his surroundings before coming to the same conclusion the ginger had reached.

This was a game to be played.

His dangling tail swished like a metronome as he observed the stranger, who let out a yell and rushed in headfirst. Funny, he thought, quickly followed by, entertaining. This was just what he needed.

Felyx wanted to play, too.

A soft snicker escaped him before he addressed the boy directly. "Think you can reach me?" he asked from his perch, stormy eyes half-lidded and mischievous.

(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2024, 12:12 AM by Felyx.)

Dacian surveyed his options, and while he did so, something in the air tickled his nose. Wait, he wasn't-

Someone spoke, causing him to throw his head back as the source was clearly up. His autumn gaze quickly found the stranger, so much smaller that he might have assumed them younger were it not for the other teen's voice. He had offered a challenge, and Dacian's crooked grin spread wide as his brows angled downward, a devilish little look that only a true kid could muster over such a silly game.

"I can do much better than that."

He leapt to the next branch, and then another, no longer wasting time on trivial deliberations. Whatever was feasible and took him higher, Dace chose, with every intention of climbing as far up as was wolfly possible.

Oh, this boy was a fun one. Expressive, too. Felyx watched his face contort into an exaggerated grin and allowed himself to imagine it twisting up in pain, or maybe how it was now, grinning and bloody. Both were an appealing thought.

He got to his paws when the other teen started to hop up recklessly, tail whipping around in an excited spiral now. There was a grin on his own face, eyes alight with excitement. A challenge, then?

Felyx could certainly do that.

A light cackle pealed from his lips and he bounced some, swaying a little bit. It would really hurt to fall from where he was, but it probably wouldn't be deadly.

Probably.

Cynder would most likely not like this, but she wasn't here right now, and Felyx was having fun.

(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2024, 05:32 AM by Felyx.)

Dacian's broad smile remained in place and his features emblazoned with determination as the stranger gave him what he'd hoped for. He did his best to remain near the trunk, wasting as little time as needed following the roller-coaster-like limbs outward. His efforts brought him steadily closer, able to reach further with his leaps, but still the other remained ahead. Puckish ideas began floating to the surface of his mind as he got caught up in the adrenaline of competition.

When the opportunity presented itself, Dace took a swipe at the other. If the back paws were missed, his jaws would attempt to tug at his playmate's tail next. Nothing particularly forceful or aggressive, he wasn't looking to make the guy take a tumble or anything. Just slow him down, and give the younger challenger an opening to pass him.

(This post was last modified: Jun 26, 2024, 08:46 PM by Dacian.)

This other boy was faster than Felyx had thought. It wasn't a problem, of course, because in all honesty Lyx didn't even care if he won or lost. The game itself was the prize - the excitement and adrenaline and new experience. Why would it matter if the dark-furred boy reached a higher branch than he did?

Still, Felyx was going to try. He managed to avoid the swipe at his paws, but wasn't quite so lucky with the tail. Sharp teeth tugged him backward - not too hard, still play, but eliciting a startled and delighted shriek from the ginger. His paws slipped on the branch and he had to right himself again before continuing to climb - this time behind the other boy.

"You play dirty," he said, tone approving and a laugh escaping him again. He would continue chasing the other boy up the tree, occasionally nipping at his heels, but would likely not catch up before they reached the point where the weight of a wolf couldn't be supported.

Dacian didn't think he'd manage the ploy after missing his initial target, and so all his teeth showed when he did. There was no shame to be seen as he took full advantage of the opportunity he'd earned, and was all the more spurred to keep progressing as rapidly as possible. To lose the lead now might actually hurt his pride a little, especially if the other proved to be a sore winner. In his zealousness, however, Dace pushed too far. His forepaws came down on the next intended limb, barely higher but still more, and it bent downward. To him, this was unexpected, and he almost lost his footing completely, chest nearly slamming onto the branch.

He recovered in a flash, abandoning the pursuit to instead abruptly twirl around - back to the traitor and facing his impromptu competitor. He was smiling, smugly and primly, in a manner that was very insistent that nothing had happened at all. There was only the slightest bit of a pinch to his eyes that suggested he could possibly be embarrassed by the slip up, or perhaps the over-excitement which had caused it.

"It's called, 'using all skills at your disposal,'" he finally answered the other boy's quip, chin lifted.

(This post was last modified: Jun 26, 2024, 09:24 PM by Dacian.)

It was a good thing the other boy showed no remorse. Had he seemed like he felt bad for tripping up his opponent, then Felyx would've considered him a waste of time. The redhead wasn't competitive in the slightest, but he could pick out weakness in others as though he were surveying a group of deer for the old, sick, or helpless.

He had no interest in a wolf who couldn't stand by their own actions.

Another benefit to being behind the other teen was that the stranger would reach the weaker branches first. Felyx waited for the moment one would give, and paused when it did. To his credit, the other boy caught himself quickly, and if Felyx were a better person, he might've reached out to help. But he was not, so he simply stood and watched as his playmate righted himself and turned around like nothing had happened.

A smirk played on Felyx's maw, eyes alight with mischief. "A good strategy," he praised, tail waving in a high arc above his back. "You beat me." Maybe not fair and square, but when was anything, really? Felyx wormed his way around on the branch, pleased to find it would hold both of their weight.

"What's your name?" he asked, finding himself very interested in this stranger.

(This post was last modified: Jun 26, 2024, 09:52 PM by Felyx.)

From where Dace was standing, this guy seemed pretty... nice. He happened to rub people wrong most of the time, especially when he got up to any kind of antics. Instead of showing ire, the stranger was complimentary. It was refreshing; he'd had it hard enough trying to make friends before he and his agemates had hit the yearling mark. Now, his attempts to fit in and get along seemed to almost never pan out. It felt like getting left behind all over again, but it was because of how much he hated that feeling that he was still so far from giving up.

Maybe this wolf could be a new friend.

"Dace," he answered casually, his own dark tail beginning to wave back and forth happily.

"Who are you?" phrased specifically, willing to know much more than just what he called himself but not wanting to seem overly interested. Most loners he'd come across were just that by choice. There were a million reasons why the stranger might not want his friendship.